Painting the Spirit Bear

The days have grown short and cold and I have been working like a busy little Christmas Elf in my studio, processing orders and creating new painted creatures of various furs. The light has been fading earlier each day, casting beautiful hues of many shades across the bay.

Despite the many horrors of these troubled times it’s good to know that beauty can always be found if you are willing to take a moment to look. Painted creatures are my own small attempt to add some beauty to the world and the latest to emerge is this little Spirit Bear…

As you may already know, Spirit Bears (or Kermode Bears to give them their official name) are actually Black Bears but with a rare recessive gene which causes their fur to be white or cream coloured. These beautiful animals are few and far between but those that do exist can be found wandering in the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia in Canada.

This small artwork is set against the night sky (and includes the Bear Constellation for those of you who are Astronomically aware), and is painted in acrylic on a 3.6” wooden disc. This was a lovely little piece to work on and was made over the course of quite a few dark evenings.

I dream my painting and I paint my dream

Vincent Van Gogh

I like to work in silence during the morning hours, finding the stillness brings an inner quiet that creates a special focus. Yet evening work takes on a different feel, and I enjoy painting or writing with music softly playing, the music weaving a rhythm to paint to. Most often I listen to a favourite film score as I did in this case, and so Spirit Bear was birthed to the haunting melodies of Alexandre Desplat’s Girl with a Pearl Earring.

I seriously considered keeping this particular painting for myself, but I have been convinced of the rightness in sending my little bear out into the world. So I have made Spirit Bear available in my Etsy Shop, complete with a wooden display easel. If you would like to purchase this particular painted creature for yourself, or as a Christmas gift for someone, then have a wander over to Artfinder – a virtual Emporium of creaturely wares.

The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world.